April 21, 1920:
Bruno Grossato (Maderna) is born in Venice, Kingdom of Italy, the son of Umberto Grossato, a musician, and Carolina Maderna. His parents are not married to each other. Grossato is already married with a son. Carolina and Bruno will move in with Grossato and his family.
June 22, 1942:
Concerto for piano and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (22) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
February 10, 1945:
Bruno Maderna (24) marries Raffaella Tartaglia in Verona. She is currently working for the police.
April 3, 1947:
Introduzione e Passacaglia “Lauda Sion Salvatorem” for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (26) is performed for the first time, in Florence.
September 17, 1948:
Concerto for two pianos, with two harps and percussion by Bruno Maderna (28) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
August 26, 1950:
Composizione no.2 for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (30) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
September 13, 1950:
Studi per “Il Processo” di Kafka for speaker, soprano, and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (30) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
February 17, 1952:
Improvvisazione no.1 for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (31) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
February 18, 1952:
Composition for Orchestra no.1 by Luigi Nono (28) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg conducted by Bruno Maderna (31).
May 21, 1952:
Musica su due dimensioni for flute, cymbal, and tape by Bruno Maderna (32) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
July 21, 1952:
In the so-called “Wunderkonzert” at Darmstadt, three new works are performed for the first time: Kreuzspiel no.1/7 for oboe, bass clarinet, piano, and percussion by Karlheinz Stockhausen (23), (performed live for the first time, it was broadcast over WDR last December), conducted by the composer with Bruno Maderna (32) playing percussion, España en el corazón for soprano, baritone, speaking chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Luigi Nono (28) to words of García Lorca and Neruda, conducted by Bruno Maderna (32), and Musica su due dimensioni for flute, cymbals, and tape by Bruno Maderna (32). See 4 October 1957.
February 16, 1953:
Memento: romance de la guardia civil española for vocal soloist, spoken choir, and orchestra by Luigi Nono (29) to words of García Lorca is performed for the first time, in Hamburg conducted by Bruno Maderna (32). See 4 October 1957.
July 24, 1953:
Olivier Messiaen (44) and Bruno Maderna (33) take part in a panel discussion on “Positions and Possibilities in New Music Today” at Darmstadt.
July 30, 1953:
Quattro Lettere for bass, soprano, and chamber orchestra by Bruno Maderna (33) to words of a Resistance fighter, a business letter, Kafka, and Gramsci is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
November 28, 1953:
Improvvisazione no.2 for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (33) is performed for the first time, in Heidelberg.
August 22, 1954:
Concerto for flute and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (34) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
December 8, 1954:
Six days after the “scandale”, Edgard Varèse’s (70) Déserts is given its second performance in a studio broadcast over NDR in Hamburg. Bruno Maderna (34) conducts the orchestra and Karlheinz Stockhausen (26) oversees the tape. Also on the program is Stockhausen’s Kontra-Punkte and the premiere of Maderna’s Composizione in 3 tempi.
June 1, 1955:
New works are performed for the first time, in Darmstadt: String Quartet in two movements by Bruno Maderna (35), and Perspektiven, music to an imaginary ballet by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (37). Also premiered is Klavierstücke V-VIII no.4 by Karlheinz Stockhausen (26). During the performance talking and giggling begin in the audience, which draws epithets in French from Pierre Boulez (30). Eventually the battling whistles and applause make it impossible for the music to be heard and Stockhausen grabs the music and stalks off, locking himself in his hotel room. After considerable effort by Luigi Nono (31) he is lured back to the hall. The music is restarted, whereupon the entire sequence of events begins again. The pianist, Marcelle Mercenier, thereupon abandons the performance. See 21 August 1954 and 2 June 1957.
May 24, 1957:
Two works for tape by Bruno Maderna (37) are performed for the first time, in Milan: Notturno and Syntaxis.
December 2, 1957:
Dark Rapture Crawl for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (37) is performed for the first time, in Rome. Also premiered is Divertimento for orchestra by Bruno Maderna and Luciano Berio (32).
March 24, 1958:
Gruppen no.6 for three orchestras by Karlheinz Stockhausen (29) is performed for the first time, in Cologne, conducted by Pierre Boulez (32), Bruno Maderna (37), and the composer. Cornelius Cardew (21) plays glockenspiel. Despite the open hostility of the musicians and the great difficulty of coordinating three orchestras with three conductors, the evening is a smashing success.
March 25, 1958:
Artikulation for four-track tape by György Ligeti (34) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne. Also premiered is Bruno Maderna’s (37) tape work, Continuo.
June 11, 1958:
A second version of Musica su Due Dimensioni for flute and tape by Bruno Maderna (38) is performed for the first time, in Naples.
September 7, 1958:
Hexahedron for chamber ensemble by Ernst Krenek (58) is performed for the first time, in the Darmstadt Landestheater. Also premiered is Cori di Didone for chorus and percussion by Luigi Nono (34) to words of Ungaretti, conducted by Bruno Maderna (38).
September 2, 1959:
Concerto for piano and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (39) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt. His first piano concerto, from 1942, has been lost.
April 9, 1960:
Dimensioni II/Invenzione su Una Voce for tape by Bruno Maderna (39) is performed for the first time, in Milan.
November 3, 1960:
Ha venido: canciones para Silvia for soprano solo and six sopranos by Luigi Nono (36) to words of Machado is performed for the first time, in London conducted by Bruno Maderna (40).
April 13, 1961:
Intolleranza 1960, a scenic action by Luigi Nono (37) after Ripellino, using texts of various authors including Eluard, Brecht, and Mayakovsky, is performed for the first time, in Venice, conducted by Bruno Maderna (40). It is his first premiere in Italy. A demonstration, complete with stink bombs and whistles, is staged by a fascist group who spreads anti-dodecaphonic literature throughout the audience. One of the composer’s fellow leftists in the audience, Marc Blitzstein (56), is impressed. “None of my scandals can touch this one!”
May 16, 1961:
Serenata III for tape by Bruno Maderna (41) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
September 9, 1961:
Livre pour quatour V, VI for string quartet by Pierre Boulez (36) are performed for the first time, in Darmstadt. Also premiered is Available Forms I for chamber ensemble by Earle Brown (34), conducted by Bruno Maderna (41).
April 23, 1962:
Honeyrêves for flute and piano by Bruno Maderna (42) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
July 15, 1962:
Composition for oboe, chamber ensemble, and tape by Bruno Maderna (42) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
August 12, 1962:
Don Perlimplin, a radio opera by Bruno Maderna (42) to his own words after García Lorca, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RAI.
July 19, 1964:
Introversion I for clarinet, trumpet, percussion, harp, harmonium, and double bass by Helmut Lachenmann (28) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt, directed by Bruno Maderna (44).
July 23, 1964:
Dimensioni IV for flute and chamber ensemble, made up of Dimensioni III and Aria, by Bruno Maderna (44) to words of Hölderlin, is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt. See 16 November 1964.
September 6, 1964:
Hyperion, lirica in forma di spettacolo for flute, chamber ensemble, and tape by Bruno Maderna (44) to words of Puecher and the composer after Hölderlin, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.
September 28, 1964:
Le Rire for tape by Bruno Maderna (44) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
November 16, 1964:
Aria for voice and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (44) is performed for the first time, in Cologne. See 23 July 1964.
July 19, 1965:
Hyperion II for flute and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (45), made up of the already performed Dimensioni III and Entropia II, is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
September 9, 1965:
Aulodia per Lothar for oboe d’amore and guitar by Bruno Maderna (45) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
January 8, 1966:
Hyperion for flute, piccolo, and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (45), consisting of the already performed Dimensioni III and Aria, is performed for the first time, in Rome.
January 19, 1966:
Stele per Diotima for violin and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (45) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NDR.
October 25, 1966:
Amanda/Serenata VI for ten instruments by Bruno Maderna (46) is performed for the first time, in Naples.
October 27, 1967:
Widmung for violin by Bruno Maderna (47) is performed for the first time, in Nürtingen.
November 10, 1967:
Concerto for oboe and orchestra no.2 by Bruno Maderna (47) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.
January 9, 1968:
La Morte ha fatto l’uovo, a film with music by Bruno Maderna (47), is released in Italy.
May 17, 1968:
Hyperion en Het Geweld for flute and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (48) is performed for the first time, in Brussels. It includes the premiere of Entropia I and Entropia II.
July 18, 1968:
Hyperion--Orfeo Dolente by Bruno Maderna (48) is performed for the first time, in Bologna. It consists of Maderna’s Hyperion interspersed with the five intermedii of Orfeo Dolente of 1616 by Domenico Belli.
April 4, 1969:
Nomos gamma for orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (46) is performed for the first time, in Royan, France. Also premiered is Quadrivium for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (48).
May 13, 1969:
Suite aus der Oper Hyperion for two solo flutes, solo oboe, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (49) is performed for the first time, in Berlin. It includes the premiere of Maderna’s Entropia III.
September 12, 1969:
Concerto for violin and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (49) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
October 1, 1969:
Serenata per un Satellite for violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, marimba, harp, guitar, and mandolin by Bruno Maderna (49) is performed for the first time, in the European Space Operation Center, Darmstadt.
November 17, 1969:
“Nutcrackers”, a group of four Dutch composers including Louis Andriessen (30), cause a disturbance during the performance of music by Johan Joachim Quantz (†196) at the Concertgebouw. The four blow whistles, shake rattles, and distribute leaflets to protest the lack of new music at the Concertgebouw. They also desire the appointment of Bruno Maderna (49) as conductor. At this, the conductor, Bernard Haitink, leaves the stage. Demonstrators jump on stage, hand out leaflets to the musicians, and use a megaphone to demand open discussion of their complaints. The audience reacts badly and eventually, the four are ejected by force and saved from physical harm by police.
February 7, 1970:
Grande Aulodia for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (49) is performed for the first time, in Rome.
February 22, 1970:
From A to Z, a radio opera by Bruno Maderna (49) to words of Rass, is staged for the first time, in Darmstadt.
January 31, 1971:
Juilliard Serenade/Tempo Libero II for chamber orchestra by Bruno Maderna (50) is performed for the first time, in New York.
September 4, 1971:
Ausstrahlung for tape, soprano, flute, oboe, and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (51) is performed for the first time, in Persepolis. As part of the performance, Dialodia for two flutes and two oboes is premiered.
March 12, 1972:
Venetian Journal for tape, tenor, and chamber ensemble by Bruno Maderna (51) is performed for the first time, in New York.
March 16, 1972:
Windows for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (43) is performed for the first time, in Chicago, conducted by Bruno Maderna (51). The work will win the Pulitzer Prize. See 1 May 1972.
March 24, 1972:
Aura for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (51) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
April 16, 1972:
Biogramma for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (51) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
August 8, 1972:
Giardino Religioso for chamber orchestra by Bruno Maderna (52) is performed for the first time, at Tanglewood, Lenox, Massachusetts. Also premiered is Tre Invenzione for five groups of instruments by Gunther Schuller (46) conducted by the composer.
March 16, 1973:
Satyricon, an opera by Bruno Maderna (52) to words of Strasfogel and the composer after Petronius, is performed for the first time, in Scheveningen, Netherlands.
July 6, 1973:
Concerto for oboe and orchestra no.3 by Bruno Maderna (53) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.
November 13, 1973:
Bruno Maderna dies of lung cancer in a hospital in Darmstadt, West Germany, aged 53 years, six months, and 23 days. His earthly remains will be laid to rest in the Alter Friedhof, Darmstadt.
April 2, 1975:
Rituel: In memoriam Bruno Maderna for orchestra by Pierre Boulez (50) is performed for the first time, in London, conducted by the composer.
March 16, 1984:
Liriche su Verlaine for voice and piano by Bruno Maderna (†10) is performed for the first time, in Bonn, 37 years after it was composed.
April 29, 1994:
String Quartet by Bruno Maderna (†20) is performed for the first time, in Paris, 48 years after it was composed.